Everything’s bigger in Texas—and Austin’s ambitious zero waste goals are no exception. The city is blazing a trail when it comes to transforming traditional waste management into sustainable resource recovery. On this episode, Maddie Morgan from Austin’s Circular Economy Program shows us how the city is creating a more sustainable future. As you’ll find out, Maddie’s approach to improving the circular economy in her hometown is emblematic of Austin’s innovative, creative, and collaborative culture. We hope her outside-of-the-box ideas and success stories might spark solutions in other communities. Maddie knew she had her dream job when she saw one number: 233 tons. In Texas, that’s the equivalent of 330 Longhorns or 24 eighteen-wheelers. In Maddie’s case, it’s the amount of waste that she and the Austin Resource Recovery team have kept from landfill (so far) through Move Out ATX. All told, the economic value of the materials diverted from the landfill through Move Out ATX equates to about $500,000 dollars to date. Yet, as you’ll find out, this program is just one of the many ingenious circular economy projects they are spearheading in Austin to achieve zero waste by 2040. These are projects that could be replicated in communities across the U.S., maybe even yours? If you are looking for inspiration and wondering how you can think differently about waste in your community, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.

Are you curious about the recycling industry? Have you ever wondered how you can get involved? In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, Keefe Harrison, CEO of The Recycling Partnership, shares advice for anyone who feels inspired to have a positive impact on the planet. Keefe also brings new data to the table as we learn about the current state of recycling in the U.S. and how you should really recycle plastic.Keefe’s career trajectory reads like a true love story. After all, it was a boy who eventually led her to pursue a career in the recycling industry. As you’ll find out, the work she’s doing today at the non-profit she founded 10 years ago is just as fascinating as her origin story. The Recycling Partnership mobilizes people, data, and solutions across the value chain to advance a circular economy.The recycling landscape is complex, and Keefe stresses the importance of collaboration, public education and engagement when it comes to identifying solutions to create a more sustainable, circular economy. Join us on Sustainably Speaking as we learn about Keefe’s journey and how together, we can create a more circular future. We’ll also dive into some myths about recycling. How much do you know about plastic recycling? Come find out.

Jeremy DeBenedictis is on a mission to change the future of recycling. Advanced recycling technologies, like those used at his company Alterra, have potential to fast-track recycling and keep more plastics in the circular economy. Alterra’s disruptive technology breaks down hard-to-recycle plastics and converts them back into materials that can be used to make new plastic. By doing this, Jeremy and his team are reducing the need for fossil resources to make new plastics and creating value for used plastics that might otherwise end up going to waste.In this episode, Jeremy also shares helpful anecdotes about inspiring change, becoming an environmental entrepreneur, and what it really takes to have an impact. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in increasing plastic recycling rates, the importance of education and access to recycling programs, and the environmental impact of advanced recycling. And he shares his inspiring vision for how individuals, companies, and governments can apply sustainable solutions.

Microplastics are defined as plastic particles smaller than five millimeters. They are challenging to detect and can have primary or secondary origins. Studying the life cycles of plastics is crucial for reducing microplastics and allows the industry to develop more durable products and design items that degrade under controlled conditions.The journey towards safeguarding from microplastics in our environment is a process that demands global collaboration. Our guest, Dr. Jeanne Hankett, Sustainability Lead, North American Biodegradation & Microplastics Center of Excellence at BASF, shares valuable insights from her extensive work in this field. Dr. Hankett also provides practical advice for consumers, encouraging proper recycling practices and awareness of compostable materials.Dr. Hankett also discusses how innovation requires collaboration between scientists, industry experts, and academia. Advanced analytical techniques and collaborations between stakeholders on a global scale are crucial for addressing the complexity of microplastic pollution.

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, Ross Eisenberg, president of America's Plastic Makers® at the American Chemistry Council delves into his journey, sharing his experience advocating for circular and sustainable solutions and looking at priorities for this year and beyond. He also shines a light on the challenges of implementing federal and international policy on sustainability. Ross and Mia also go head-to-head on a game of sustainability trivia, sharing fun facts about the history of recycling, sustainability, and plastics.

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn explores innovations in sustainable architecture with guests Heidi Kujawa and Jordan Goldman. Heidi, CEO of ByFusion, discusses their innovative approach to using plastic waste to create building materials, highlighting the need to reduce environmental impact. Jordan Goldman, Engineering Principal of Zero Energy Design, sheds light on the challenges and opportunities in designing high-performance, energy-efficient homes, emphasizing the value of long-term thinking.

In this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn hands over the mic to Susan Jackson from BASF Corporation to talk with two prominent political pollsters who explored people’s perceptions around recycling. Jackson is joined by polling experts Cornell Belcher, president and founder of Brilliant Corners Research and Strategies and best known for his polling work for former President Barack Obama, and Brenda Gianiny, president and founder of Axis Research, who’s best known for the work she does with Senator Mitch McConnell. Belcher and Gianiny emphasize the importance of accurate polling for driving strategies, and they highlight the distinction between professional polling and media-driven polls. They also talk about their initial lack of knowledge about advanced recycling for plastic and how they now recognize its potential and find that voters and consumers share their enthusiasm.

On this episode of Sustainably Speaking, we’re discussing how the world of sports and entertainment can become more sustainable. We’re joined by Head of Sustainability for the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team Sofi Armenakian who helped the Hawks’ State Farm Stadium become the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) platinum certification.

On the next episode of Sustainably Speaking, we’re revealing how the world of sports and entertainment can become more sustainable. We’re joined by Head of Sustainability for the Atlanta Hawks Basketball Team Sofi Armenakian who helped the Hawks’ State Farm Stadium become the first sports and live entertainment venue in the world to receive TRUE (Total Resource Use and Efficiency) platinum certification.

On this episode of Sustainably Speaking, host Mia Quinn uncovers how innovations in plastic recycling are paving the way for more durable and sustainable roads. To learn more about the latest developments in asphalt technology, we’re joined by Bill Buttlar, the Glen Barton Chair in Flexible Pavement Technology at the University of Missouri.

Up Next: The Road to Sustainable Infrastructure with Bill Buttlar, Glen Barton Chair in Flexible Pavement Technology, University of Missouri Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Join host Mia Quinn as she sits down with guest co-host Stew Harris and Martin Koehring, Global Director of Impact at Forum for the Future, who will apply an economic lens to improving sustainability in our oceans.

Up Next: Sustainability Through an Economic Lens featuring Martin Koehring, Global Director of Impact at Forum for the Future; Former Head of World Ocean Initiative; and Senior Manager for Sustainability, Climate Change, and Natural Resources at Economist Impact.

In this episode, we’re joined by Stan Chen, CEO of Recycle GO, and Douglas Johnson-Poensgen, CEO of Circulor, to discover how Blockchain can help facilitate a more reliable and transparent circular economy through traceability.

Up Next: Blocking and Tackling: The Keys to Solving Traceability and Resiliency in Recycling featuring Stan Chen, CEO of RecycleGO and Doug Johnson-Poensgen, CEO of Circulor.

In this episode, Ocean Recovery Alliance Founder, Doug Woodring—one of the top 50 ‘Water Men of the World’ and International Swimming Hall of Fame inductee—shares how collaboration from all sides is needed to keep plastic out of the ocean. And how a global agreement could help shape a circular economy for plastics.

Up Next: Beneath the Surface: Solving Ocean Plastic featuring Doug Woodring, Director/Founder, Ocean Recovery Alliance.

When it comes to the apparel industry, sustainability isn’t so black and white. As Techstyler co-founder Brooke Roberts-Islam reveals in this episode, there are plenty of emerging trends in the fashion world that are turning heads and growing interest.

“For every t-shirt in your closet, there exists a t-shirt worth of scraps,” says Dr. Julie Willoughby of Circ. In this episode, Dr. Willoughby brilliantly explains how her company is working towards tackling the fashion industry’s sustainability challenge. It turns out advanced recycling is an emerging trend in the industry.

Up Next: a very special two-part series threading the needle on sustainability and circularity in Fashion.